Jack in The Box
by leebeelee
Summary: Jack gets drunk and not everything goes to plan, more may come, depending on my review
1. Chapter 1

**Jack in The Box**

The waters of the Aurora Basin were lightly blanketed with a low mist and the early morning sun bounded across the snow covered ground like jewels. Jack Marston stepped out of the deserted hunter's cabin by the water's edge and rubbed sleep from his eyes. He yawned heavily and moaned at the pain of his head. He was severely hungover and was still trying to work out how he had managed to get where he was, he remembered sneaking out with Jane and Eli, who was a pastor's son (if only his father knew) to go to Blackwater, where Eli's cousin would get them some liquor, then he remembered walking to Manzanita Post with his friends and… God his head hurt, he rubbed his eyes against the sunlight and saw the Redemption Mountains standing tall and when he turned he saw Nekoti Rock and Tall Trees. He sighed, Ma and Pa would be angry, and he wasn't ready for their shouting so he decided he would sleep a little more.

'Good morning sleepy head.' A familiar voice flitted towards him from in the cabin; he turned slowly and saw Jane laying in the bed, with a small blanket barley keeping her decent.

'Jane! What the hell're you doing? Put some clothes on!'

'Well, you've changed your tune.' She stood up, holding the sheet close to her chest and moved in for a kiss. Jack backed away, but the close proximity he'd just had with Jane made him suddenly aware that he was wearing no shirt. Had they done what he thought they'd done? He had always liked Jane, but they were good friends, never anything more, and now looking at her scantily clad frame he knew that he wanted her.

'Come on Jack, you know what's going to happen, might as well just get it over with.' She moved in for another kiss, this time Jack stepped out of the door, but she grabbed his arm. 'Mmm Jack, you've really beefed up!' She ran her hand down his sculpted chest, and started to try to undo his pants. He swiftly picked up his shirt and threw it on, before running from the cabin.

'JACK!' She called after him, but he ignored and carried on running, a thousand thoughts spinning through his head, he was only fifteen, and they weren't married, and they were friends, what about religion, what about his parents, what about _her _parents! His run had slowed to a walk by the time he came out of Tall Trees, he walked along the train tracks to Manzanita Post, where he felt around in his pocket, found a dollar, and bought some jerky. He bit it and was chewing it as he stepped out of the store. It was 9 now, and his parents would defiantly have realised he was missing by now. Jack was considering what he could tell them when Eli ran up to him, with blood pouring through his hands.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The sun had already heated up although it was early in the morning and the cows and horses had been left unattended on the plains around Beecher's Hope, meaning that the ranch was near silent, even the chickens seemed to sense the tension in the air and were staying in the barn. 'Oh where's Jack? I'm getting worried!' Abigail Marston stood anxiously in front of her house surveying the horizon for any sign of any person.

'Abby, he's fine; I'll get on the phone to Pastor Mayne and see if he stayed there. Oh-ho if only that man knew about Eli…' His voice trailed off as he walked inside and the boy's mother resumed her vigil.

Meanwhile, Jack Marston, only semi-aware of his mother's plight, was sat under the railway bridge just outside of Manzanita Post, slowly bandaging his friend's arm with the sleeve of his shirt.

'Shit, she was totally naked? Just a sheet?'

'Totally naked, and I'm almost totally sure that we…'

'Mother of merciful God! Really? That's crazy.'

'I know; I feel so stupid.' The pair went silent as two men rode past, Jack recognised one, one of his father's poker partners, but the man didn't even look at him, so he was safe. Eli winced as moved slightly and his arm brushed against the wooden pillar.

'You gotta go home Jack, they'll be looking for you now, and when they send people for you, they'll send people for me, and when they send people for me, they'll send people for Jane, and when they send people for Jane… Well, you know what'll happen.'

'You're right, I'm going, your arm gonna be alright?'

'Fine, get gone; I'll wait here for the train.' Jack stood up and left his friend, Jane still running through his mind… He was deep in it now, but that didn't seem so daunting, he felt as though now, after what had happened… It seemed like the perfect excuse to get close to the girl that he had lusted after for so long. The heavens opened just as he climbed the fence onto his dad's land. The rain was nice to dampen the humid, thick air, and cooled Jack's face as it splattered on his cheeks, he took a deep breath, raised his hand and walked into his house .

'Oh my boy!' His mother wrapped him up in a hug then hit him upside the head, 'Where the hell have you been?'

'Where is he?' Jack's father walked out of the kitchen and stormed towards his son, getting so close in his face that Jack could smell his thick breath and feel the little droplets of spittle as he spoke in hushed but angered tones. 'You ever, ever do that to me and your mother again, I swear to God I will beat you so hard you'll be sweeping floors with your tongue for a living, you hear me?'

'Yes sir. Sorry sir!' Jack scuttled off to his bedroom, where he filled the basin with water and washed himself quickly, before getting dressed and taking out a copy of _Moby Dick _from under his bed. He sat down and began to read when his father walked in, expecting a beating Jack half cowered, but then looked up and saw his dad's face was white.

'Jane's father has been on the telephone.'


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Eli Mayne rested his head on the window of the train and watched the flat landscape of Great Plains shoot past. He saw Broken Tree in the distance, standing proud, risen up above the low lying grass. He was the only person in the carriage aside from the conductor, who was now snoring heavily at the front. The rain was making delicate patterns running backwards along the glass panes and Eli ran his finger over them, following their curves and bends, then he winced. He'd moved his arm back too fast and his wound began to ooze fresh, thick blood, dampening the makeshift bandage Jack had made for him. The locomotive whistled loudly as it pulled into Blackwater and Eli hastily left, before the conductor could wake up and charge him for a ticket. He walked up the hill, to his home, where he and his father had lived since Coot's Chapel had been ransacked and he and his father moved and began building the church here. Pastor Mayne wasn't home, so Eli walked up the stairs to the bathroom and washed his cut. He was just drying it off when he heard his father walk into the house.

John and Jack Marston were sat in the main room of their family home.

'Now we wait Jack.' His father said solemnly. A massive sense of relief had washed over Jack when he was told that Jane wasn't home yet, not the news he was expecting to hear. He threw another log on the dwindling fire watched the small tongues of flame lick around it before finally setting it alight. The storm had really picked up now and lightning flashed across the sky like a rip in a sheet of grey, crumpled paper. His mother was banging pots and pans in the kitchen with anger. Various snippets of her angry monologue floated into the room, like,

'Leaving a girl unprotected!' and 'I raised him better than that.'

'What were you thinking Jack, going to Tall Trees? You know there're bears there, and wolves, you could have been killed!'

'I know Pa, I'm sorry!'

'Sorry 'aint gonna cut it if this girl don't get home. You won't just have me to answer to; you think her father's happy about this?' Jane's father was not happy, which was bad news for Jack, because he was a man to be feared. Born and raised in New Austin, Riley Lloyd became one of the most feared sheriffs in Cholla Springs, leading the opium raid on Rathskeller Fork and apprehending the men responsible for the 1887 Ridgewood Farm massacre, now he was stationed in Blackwater, but it is a well-known fact that he shot dead Jane's last boyfriend. Jack quivered at the thought of what he would do if he found out about what he and his daughter had done; it was enough to make him sick. Jack was pacing the room now, almost tearing his hair out with worry.

'I have to find her.' Jack said, picking up his hat and walking towards the door, before Jack could stop him he had flung it open, and on the porch stood a bewildered looking man, with a deputy badge on his shirt and a hat, that was dripping water.

'Good evening Master Marston, Mr Marston.' He tipped his hat forward to the men, 'Sheriff Lloyd sent me with a message.' The deputy stared gormlessly into space in an attempt to remember it. 'Oh I know. He said "Jane has just gotten home safely, thanks for your cooperation."' He looked happy that he had recalled word for word what he was told.

'Ok, thank you.' John said, and returned to the cow skin couch, lighting up a cigarette. The deputy remained however, smiling at Jack.

'Oh right.' Jack said, and took a few coins off of the cabinet by the door and dropped them in his hand. 'Before you go,' Jack was whispering into the messenger's ear now, and thrusting a letter into his hand said, 'give this to Jane, and if you don't show your sheriff...' Jack leaned next to the deputy and took a look at his horse, 'My pa had a good batch of mares this year, and yours is looking pretty tired.' Then Jack shut the door, and smiled contently.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jane Lloyd stumbled into her house that lay on the outskirts of Blackwater at 9pm, dripping wet, one of her legs bleeding and her dress severely torn. She pushed the door open and her mother and father ran to her and scooped her up in a large embrace.

'Oh Jane, I was so worried!' Her mother's eyes began to fill with tears as her father stood up and spoke briefly to both the deputies, who put their hats on and left.

'Where've you been Jane? We were so scared that you… Well, that you…' The usually stoic policeman before her began to tremble slightly, before regaining control and continuing. 'I thought you'd been killed.' Jane tried to act nonchalant by letting out a fake laugh, followed by a lie.

'I was staying at Eli's, Pastor Mayne tried to stop me going out in the storm so Eli helped me climb through the window, that's why I'm all…' She gestured to herself. 'Well I'm just glad you're home safe, I sent Miguel to the Mayne's and Matthew to the Marston's.' Jane's stomach lurched at the mention of that name. Her mind shot back to the night before, to what they had done, where they had been. How it had felt… She was stupid for doing it she knew, not only would she be shunned if her father found out but this had almost certainly ruined her friendship with Jack. Her upsetting yet somehow blissful reverie was harshly interrupted by her mother's shrill tones.

'Jane! Your father is speaking to you!'

'Sorry daddy, what?'

'I said go to bed, it's getting late, and you need to get some rest, you look more haggard than a whore on Monday mornin'.' Jane nodded and walked slowly up the stairs into her room, where she sat on the bed and cried into her pillow, until she heard someone coming, heavy-footed, up the stairs. She rubbed her eyes and tried to put on a smile, it was Matthew, he looked guilty.

'Good evening Deputy.' She said politely, her eyes darting around the room trying to avoid eye contact with him.

'Miss, I have something for you.' He took a look behind him and brought out of his pocket a neatly folded piece of paper. 'It's from the Marston boy. Please don't tell your pappy, I need a new horse!' Jane didn't really know what he meant but she shrugged it off and opened the note.

'Eli! I can't believe you, staying out like that, where the hell were you?' Eli had feigned sleep when his father got home, which seemed to just have let his anger boil up a little more. The pastor was leaned over his son, pointing at him angrily.

'Father, I was staying with Jack, we went to Blackwater because Jane wanted a new Bible, but the store was closed, and you were doing your sermon, so I went to Jack's house, the it got too dark for me to walk so I just stayed there, honestly Papa.' Eli lied to his father regularly, so rarely felt any guilt about doing it.

'Alright son.' The oblivious father ruffled the boy's hair and walked across the landing to bed. Eli waited until he'd heard the light switch off and the rhythmic snoring and whistling of a sleeping man before heaving open his window and jumping out.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

'Jack Marston get your ass out here!' John Marston was struggling to keep two large stallions under control when his son ran over and grabbed the reins of one, swinging on to his back, a trick his father had taught him just a few months ago. John did the same, deliberately kicking dust into Jack's face, who chased his father out and shouted 'I'll race ya to Montana Ford!' And they did, laughing all the way. John beat his son by a fraction and shouted,

'And back again!' Jack won the second half of the race and as soon as he was in Beecher's Hope he was out of it again, but as the rail crossing loomed into view so did Jane. She looked beautiful, her floral dress and chestnut hair were flowing in the wind. He dismounted when he saw her, and became aware that his mouth was open. She stared at the ground, slightly embarrassed.

'About your letter…' She said quietly.

Eli had been staked outside his friend's house for most of the night, then most of the morning too. As soon as he'd seen Jane leave he'd walked up to the door and plated three sturdy knocks right in the middle. Sherriff Lloyd answered and looked almost surprised to see the boy on his porch.

'Oh Eli, Jane's just left for the Marston's, if you run you'll get to the station-'

'I'm not here for Jane sir. There's something I think you need to know.'

'Well, you'd better come in.'

Jack and Jane sat hand in hand beneath the Broken Tree, both glad of some shade. Some buffalo ran over the plains,

'Isn't it beautiful?' Jane said, whilst resting her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her with adoration in his eyes and planted a fast but tender kiss on her lips, his hand pressed against her cheek. The seemingly perfect moment was ruined by a figure arriving from the direction of Blackwater on the back of a horse. Jack put his hand into the coat on the floor and rested it on the butt of his revolver. It was reassuring. As the figure got closer, the familiar outline of Eli's flat cap became visible and the couple breathed a sigh of relief. Until they saw Eli's face.

'Eli? What's wrong?' Jane stood and helped him dismount, he looked tired and sullen.

'it's your father Jane, he knows. Someone told him.'

'WHAT?' Jack shouted, he scrambled to his feet, 'Who was it?'

'I went to Jane's house and the deputy was there, holding a piece of paper, then your dad said "I'm gonna kill that Marston bastard!" so I snuck in and got you some clothes.' He took a saddlebag off of his horse and handed it to the girl.

'I gotta go explain!' Jack began, but was interrupted by his friend,

'No, he's organising a posse now! Half the town'll be here soon.' Jack didn't know what to do. He felt a rushing sensation in his ears and a million thoughts fought for priority in his head.

'We gotta go.' He said, looking seriously at Jane, she didn't object, she just took his hand, the saddlebag slung over her back. 'Goodbye Eli, I don't know when I'll see you again.' They shook hands and the new couple headed back towards Beecher's Hope, and Eli headed back to town.

'Jack! Finally, are you having dinner?' Abigail Marston asked him, a wooden spoon in her hand, the end of which was dripping with what might my gravy.

'No thanks ma, where's pa?' Jack asked, he'd hoped to avoid seeing either of them, it would just mean lying, and making leaving considerably harder.

'He's bringing the cows in, and a little birdy told me that you deserted him this morning for a certain Miss Ja-'

'Ok ma very nice.' Jack hurried into his room; Jane was waiting behind the silo. He shoved clothes, a book and some jerky into a small pack, then he made his bed and left a small, apologetic note on his pillow, explaining ever, explaining everything.

'I'm going out ma.' Jack almost welled up, 'Bye.' He raced across the forecourt to the silo , where Jane was waiting nervously. She picked up her bag and they began to run towards Manzanita. They went to the station and Jack took out some money and slammed it on the counter.

'Two tickets to anywhere in Mexico.' He said hurriedly.

Meanwhile, on the other side of West Elizabeth, Eli had intercepted the posse and took the Sherriff aside.

'It's about Jack Marston sir, he's kidnapped Jane.'


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Abigail Marston was slowly stirring her stew when the loud crash of broken glass came from the main room, almost making her knock the pot off the stove. She picked up the shotgun, which she always kept close to hand when John was out of the house. In the main room she saw a brick by the window. The bewildered woman ran out onto the veranda and was confronted with at least fifty faces, some familiar, all of them angry. Sherriff Lloyd was at the front of the group, grinning smugly.

'We'll take your son, and my daughter.' He demanded, as a loud roar went up from the people behind him. He hushed them to let her speak,

'He's not here, and nor is she, I thought they were staying at Pastor Mayne's tonight?' At that, Eli ran over to the posse and addressed them,

'You're all mistaken, they're not in hiding, Jane was kidnapped!' The crowd gasped and Eli fought hard to hold back a smirk, he had them, 'By Jack Marston.' The people became distressed and in the commotion the sheriff and the boy exchanged a wink, before they began to regain control of the mob.

'Miguel, Matthew, you know what to do.' The sheriff commanded as the two deputies nodded at their boss and walked towards the house, one grabbing Abigail and the other marching into the house, after a while, he came back and confirmed that 'the note had been done.'. At that the sheriff nodded to the deputy holding the hapless woman on the porch,

'Tie her up and get her on the wagon', he looked around wearily, 'we gotta get outta here.'

As the train crossed Butter Bridge the conductor announced 'We are now entering Mexico.' Rather unenthusiastically, before returning to his seat at the front of the carriage. Jane held Jack's arm tightly as she watched the Manteca Falls shoot past to be replaced with Mexican countryside as far as the eye could see. El Presidio stood atop the cliffs, Jack's head was flooded with the stories his father would tell him about the Mexican Revolution and his part in it, only half of them were true, and most of the others had the truth in them stretched to an unrecognisable length, but this didn't matter, they were still enough to trigger thoughts of home.

After El Presidio, Casa Madrugada was where the train stopped first; the runaways weren't paying any attention to the comings and goings of passengers, but at Las Hermanas a Mexican conductor nodded two nuns goodbye. As the train began the ascent to the hilltop township of Chuparosa the new ticket collector walked confidently over to the couple.

'Out. 'Chour ticket on brings you to Chuparosa.' He said, in a "I'm watching you" sort of way.

'Oh ok, thank you.' Jack said, trying to sound polite, although the man was now looking at Jane in a way he didn't like,

'You two married?' He asked, still looking her up and down,

'Yes.' she said suddenly, gripping tighter on her 'husband's' arm.

'Oh. Is your stop, out.'

As they stepped out of the station they were met with a smelly, elderly man, who wrapped them in a huge hug.

'Ooh my, it sure is nice to see a friendly face! How are you guys?' He seemed over excited and was grinning,

'I'm sorry sir but… Do we know you?' Jane enquired with the etiquette of a true lady,

'Well not personally no, but any friend of America is a friend o' mine, so what's the story? New in town?' The couple seemed shocked but Jack felt it his turn to speak,

'Yeah, do you know where we could stay? We think we'll be here for a while...'

'Of course! There's room behind the tavern, belongs to me, I'll rent it to ya for a peso a week, and you can ear four a week working for me at the corral, start tomorrow, 7am sharp.' The man was drunk, obviously, but not so drunk that he'd said that without meaning, so they walked behind the bar, where there was a door standing slightly ajar. They stepped in and the room was revealed to them, it was minimalistic, barely enough furniture for two people, with an armoire on one side and a little table with two chairs and a candle by the door, there was a framed artwork on the wall, a cross-stitch by looks of it and a rug in the centre.

'The start of our new life Jane.' Jack said softly.

John Marston was late, and was surprised that his wife wasn't waiting for him on the veranda. He stepped in and was instantly struck by the silence, then he turned and saw the smashed window, he took a step forward and noticed a piece of paper on the table come in to his peripheral vision.

'**Bring us your son, and you'll get your wife.' **It read.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

'You call yourself a sheriff? You make me sick!' Abigail Marston was uncomfortably hogtied in the back of a hay wagon, trundling along the road to Blackwater. They kept stopping every few minutes to wait for the rest of the mob to catch up, which was a welcome break for the hostage, who was already bleeding because of the splinters in her cheek. 'You bastard! You stupid, worthless bastard! You wait till John-'The deputy who was sitting next to her hit her hard on the temple with the butt of his rifle, rendering her unconscious once more.

'ABBI? ABBI!' John Marston nervously brushed back his hair as he ran back towards his home after a thorough search of the grounds. He had no choice now. He had to go looking. There was no signature on the note but the footprints and wagon tracks pointed towards Blackwater, which confused him greatly. What would a posse be doing around these parts, and all the gangs would go towards Tall Trees or Hennigan's Stead. He had just swung onto his horse when the phone in the hallway ran. He glared at it, shiny black and vibrating vigorously. He cautiously dismounted and stepped back into his house. He picked up the receiver.

'Hello?' He said carefully, as though he knew his wife's captor was on the other end of the line.

'Ah Mr Marston!' John sighed with relief, it was only the sheriff, 'I have some news.'

'Go on…'

'I have your wife.' His voice changed, changed to a dark, threatening tone. This statement was followed by a long chuckle.

'I swear to God you asshole, if you lay a finger on her, I will come over there and shove that phone so far up-'

'Oh, John, come on now, I'm a reasonable man, find me your son and we'll do a little swap, my daughter, for your wife.'

'What? Why would Jack be with Jane? He's staying with Eli!'

'No sir he is not. He's taken my daughter to Mexico, but, you know what I'll send Eli to kill him and bring her back, it'll be easier that way.'

'No you will not you son of a-' The phone hung up. John ran out and mounted his horse, charging out onto the road, with his eyes set not on Blackwater but Butter Bridge, and Mexico, the country he had not visited since Abraham Reyes seized power.

'Jane, did I bring a lasso?' Jack was rummaging through the drawers looking for his rope, he was almost late for work.

'No, but there's one on the hitching post outside, I don't think it belongs to anybody.' She was crouching by the small fire outside, boiling some eggs. 'Now get over to the corral else you'll be fired before you even started!' They kissed goodbye and Jack walked out of the archway to the stables, where the man from last night (now significantly more sober) was wrestling with a tall mare, that was bucking and whinnying almost to the point of going completely out of control. Jack vaulted the fence and caught the horse around her neck with his lasso. He reeled her in while his new employer laughed, slightly awestruck, as the boy proceeded to mount her and begin breaking her in.

'Damn boy! I didn't expect this from a city slicker.' He shouted over the steed's loud neighing.

'I aint no city slicker! I'm country, born an' raised!'

'Haha! You remind me of a guy I used to know, funny bastard.'

'What was your name sir? I never got one outta you last night.' As Jack rounded off the sentence he bought the wild animal under control, and scooped some rope from his belt to rein her up with.

'Seth. Seth of the Dead, to my friends. But they were dark times. Dark times indeed, but I'm better now. I went crazy looking for treasure but now… I think I've realised the greatest treasure there is, is life. And the beautiful senoritas on Chuparosa!' Seth… It was the Seth his father had told him about, he had the same eyes, although he was cleaner, but he guessed that even grave robbers looked cleaner in Mexico.

As Jack stepped back into the centre of the town, the sun beating down and making the air a haze, he remembered Jane talking about becoming a barmaid, and thought he would check in, but as he stepped into the sweltering bar, he saw an arrogant Mexican leaning over the counter and attempting to grope her breast.

'Camman chica, chor tiddies are very nice.' He tried again, and she batted his hand away. But he was relentless.

'Hola hombre.' Jack said, with the barrel of his revolver pressed into the man's back. 'Outside, we'll do this like men. Jack didn't know why he'd just challenged the man to a duel, or how even to duel properly, and it didn't feel like his legs taking him out onto the street, or his hand reaching for the butt of his gun, but before his hand could even brush the weapon, the sound of a bullet leaving a gun rang loud in his ears.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Sheriff Lloyd flicked his cigarette out of the window of his office and strolled over to the cell that Abigail Marston was being held,

'Lookin' good darlin'' he winked and motioned to his face, 'I think you might have a little bruise or something there.' His 'joke' was followed by a wheezy laugh and then a fit of hacking coughing, all finished off with a large glob of phlegm landing on the small rolled out mat she had intended on using as a bed. She remained silent, looking at the floor and twirling her thumbs together, like two swallows in the sky. Then she laughed slightly and rocked back on her small chair.

'Something funny, dog? Coz all I hear is you barkin' over there.' She got louder, and he got angrier, 'Shut up! Shut your stupid little whore mouth or I swear to God-' He stopped at the sound of a gun cocking behind him,

'On your knees Lloyd.' John Marston kicked him in the back of the leg then hit him over the head with the stock of his rifle.

'Jack Marston you stupid son of a bitch!' Langdon Ricketts holstered his gun and watched the Mexican man slump on the floor, his revolver discharging as the butt of it hit the ground. 'Your father would be ashamed of you!' Jack was still in shock, as Seth ran over to him excitedly and started laughing,

'Jack Marston? Hehehehehehe! Jack Marston as I live and breathe, I knew it was you! I knew it I knew it I knew it!'

'That's enough Seth, get back to the corral, my horses best be broken when I get there.' Ricketts said as he motioned Jack over to the saloon.

'Your horses?' Jack shouted after him,

'Why yes, Seth likes to think they're his, but I buy 'em and I own the corral, he just breaks 'em in for me. It was your pa that introduced us actually, I gave him a job with the animals, now he says they belong to him and I'm happy to play along, he's still a little crazy.' Jack laughed and looked briefly at Langdon's glass of whisky, but the look wasn't fleeting enough and before he could object there was a glass in front of him. He had just picked it up when a man in a sombrero ran into the bar and over to the table.

'Senor Marston! Senor Marston! A man just crossed Frontera Bridge looking for you!'


End file.
